Court martial proceedings have gone forward for the first of eight soldiers charged in the hazing death case of a fellow soldier. 19-year-old Chinese-American Private Danny Chen died in Afghanistan last October - apparently of suicide.

The soldier now facing charges is Sargent Adam Holcomb of Youngstown, Ohio. He is accused of mistreating and hazing Danny Chen so badly that the soldier was prompted to take his own life. Holcomb faces a number of charges - the most serious of which is negligent homicide.

If convicted across the board, he could face nearly 18 years in prison. A number of Chen’s family members and supporters have travelled from New York to North Carolina to participate in the hearing.